high priest. And because we have
a great high priest who's seated in the heavens, he's passed into
the heavens. He doesn't minister in tabernacles
and temples on earth. He's passed into the heavens.
He's seated at the right hand of God. And he's none other,
because we have a great high priest and because he is Jesus,
the Son of God, he's none other than the Son of God. Our surety
who was made flesh and dwelt among us, son of God, son of
man. Let us hold fast our profession,
for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities. But he was in all points, in
the flesh, son of man, tempted, tried, like as we are, yet without
sin. And because we have a great high
priest who has a better sacrifice than those Old Testament priests,
his own blood, because he has a better righteousness, a perfect
righteousness, his own, and because by God's grace we are in him,
accepted in the beloved. Verse 16 says, Let us therefore
come boldly. because we have a great high
priest, because he's none other than the Son of God, because
he representing us has passed into the heavens, is at the right
hand of God, then let us boldly, and the word is confidently,
confidently, without fear, come, listen, unto the throne, the
throne of God. Where? The throne of God. Let's
find out some things about the throne of God. Turn to 1 Timothy
chapter 6. We're talking about coming before
the throne of God. 1 Timothy chapter 6. A moment ago, Brother Chuck,
leading us in prayer, took us before the throne of
God and called him our father. whose name is holy and reverent. I wonder if we really know just
how holy and reverent and majestic that name is, and that throne. Look at 1 Timothy 6, verse 14. That thou keep this commandment
without spot, unreducible, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ. who in his times, in his own
time, he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate, the
King of kings and Lord of lords. Now listen, who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto. This is our God, this is the
throne of God, dwelling in a light which no man can approach unto,
which no man hath seen, nor can see, to whom be honor and power
everlasting." That's the throne of God. Invisible, immortal,
eternal. It's not only a throne of majesty,
but listen to Isaiah 6. Turn over there and see what
Isaiah saw. In Isaiah chapter 6, it's a throne
of holiness. It's a throne of majesty. It's
a throne of holiness. In chapter 6 of Isaiah, he said,
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting
upon a throne. That's where we're talking about
coming unto a throne. Sitting upon a throne. High and
lifted up, His train filled the temple. Above the throne stood
the seraphim, each one had six wings, with two he covered his
face, with two he covered his feet, with two he did fly. And
one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, holy is the
Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. And the
post of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and
the house was filled with smoke. We're talking about coming bolder
before that throne. And then I cried, Isaiah said,
Where is me? I'm undone. I'm cut off. I'm a man of unclean lips and
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Mine eyes have
seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Well, that throne is also a throne
of justice. Turn to Revelation chapter 20,
the throne of God. This is nothing to be taken lightly.
We're talking about let us come boldly before the throne. The throne, the throne of majesty,
a throne of immaculate, immutable holiness, and now a throne of
judgment. Revelation 20, verse 11. Listen,
I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was no place,
found no place for him. I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God. And the books were opened, and
another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in
the books, according to their works. She gave up the dead which
were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were
in them. They were judged, every man according to their works,
and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. This is
the throne of God, the throne of majesty, the throne of holiness,
and the throne of judgment. And here he's talking about us,
you and me coming boldly before that throne. Well, God hasn't
changed. God doesn't change. He said in
Malachi, I believe it's chapter 3, Malachi 3, he says, I'm the
Lord, I change not. I change not. I'm the Lord, I
change not. Well, how can we come before
the throne, this throne of God? He doesn't change. He can't change.
He's immutable. The same yesterday, today, and
forever. I tell you, two things. Number one, because we have on
the right hand of that throne a great high priest. who is even
Jesus, the Son of God, who's passed into the heavens, who
intercedes for us. And we've been changed. God doesn't
change, but we've been changed. We're sanctified, or we can't
come to that throne. We're justified, or we can't
come to that throne. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians
chapter 6. There's a change been made, but
it's not in God. It's not in God. God doesn't
change. And unless some change takes
place in us, we can't stand before that God. Who shall stand in
his presence? He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, never lifted up his soul to vanity, never sworn
deceitfully, never sinned, Well, 1 Corinthians 6, verse
9 says this, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Don't be deceived now, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were
some of you by birth, by nature, by thought, deed, practice. But something's happened. You've
been changed. You're washed. You're washed. Unto him who loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood. and made us unto our God, both
kings and priests, you are washed. Have you been washed? You are
sanctified, sanctified by one offering he hath sanctified and
perfected forever his people. You are justified. You are not
partially washed, you are washed. You're not partially sanctified
and progressively making some progress toward it, you're sanctified. You're not partly justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God, you're
justified. That's how you can come before
his throne. But if you're not washed and
sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
by the Spirit of God, don't come. don't even make an effort to
come. That's right. Over here in the book of Revelation
chapter 1, listen to chapter 7. When I turn to chapter 7,
John said, I beheld and lo, I saw a great multitude which no man
could number. I saw a great multitude which
no man could number of all nations. and kindreds and people and tongues,
they stood. They weren't blown away. They
weren't cast into the lake of fire. They weren't dismissed. They weren't consumed with his
anger. They stood there. They stood before the throne
of God. They stood there clothed in white robes, purity, sanctified,
justified, palms of victory in their hands. And they cried,
salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Now don't adopt
a religion that tries to change God. Don't fall for this religion
that says God loves everybody, God wants to save everybody,
God's doing the best He can to get along with you. God doesn't
change. God is majestic. and holy and just and righteous. And none shall stand in his presence
but those with clean hands and a pure heart, who have been washed
and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And down here in verse 14 of Revelation 7, verse 13,
one of the elders said, Who are One of the elders answered, saying
to me, What are these arrayed in white robes? Where do they
come from? Standing before the throne of God. And I said, Sir,
you know, if you don't know, you ought to know. It's clear
and plain. He said to me, I know, I know
who they are. These are they who have come
out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. And for no other reason, therefore,
are they before the throne of God. That's what they're doing
there. That's the only right they got
to be there. That's the only thing that permits them. He doesn't
change. God is God. God is God. mighty, almighty, majestic, holy,
just and righteous. The scepter of his throne is
purity and holiness and perfect righteousness. And he doesn't
change, and he can't change, and thank God he doesn't change.
And the only way in this world that you and I can stand before
God, accept it, is to be washed white as the snow. Though your
sins be a scarlet, I'll make them as white as the snow. Though
they be red like crimson, double dyed, I'll make them as white
as wool, sanctified, perfectly sanctified, wholly sanctified,
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And these
are they that washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb, and therefore are they before the throne of God. Jesus Christ, my great high priest,
poured out his blood and died. My guilty conscience seeks no
sacrifice beside. His sinless blood did once atone,
and now it pleads before the throne. My advocate appears for
my defense on high. The Father hears the Son and
lays his anger by. Not all that earth or hell can
say can turn his grace and love away. It's in Christ. But chapter
5 of Hebrews then declares some things about our great high priest
that we need to know. Seeing, seeing in as much then
as we have a great high priest, let's come boldly confidently,
fearlessly. First of all, every high priest
was a man. So was our high priest, once
a man. Now the man glorified, but once
a man in the flesh, born of a woman, made under the law. Just like
you and me. You see, every high priest of
the Old Testament, taken from among men, is ordained for men
in things pertaining to God. that he may offer both gifts
and sacrifices for sin." Now back there there were many priests.
There were many high priests. Every high priest was born a
man, lived among men, was chosen from among men, was ordained
by God to be a high priest, and they presided over Israel in
things pertaining to God. They appeared before God in the
stead of the people. They presented blood sacrifices
for their sins and the sins of the people. And God received
them, waiting for Christ to come and fulfill all this. But Christ,
our high priest, is all this to us. You see, over here in
chapter 2, look at it. Chapter 2, verse 16. Christ,
our high priest, was a man. He had to be. Had to be a man. By man came death, by man came
life. In verse 16 of Hebrews 2, for
verily he took not on him the nature of angels, he took on
him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren, just like us, bone
of our bone, flesh of our flesh. Jesus Christ, God Almighty, became
a man. That's the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in human flesh, in the very likeness of sinful
flesh. They knew that, the Pharisees
even. They said, Well, he's a man.
We know his mother, we know his brothers and sisters. He's a
carpenter. He's a carpenter. And he was a man. In order that
he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. So
that's what verse 1 is saying. Every Old Testament high priest
was taken from among them. and ordained of God for men in
things pertaining to God, that he might offer gifts and sacrifices. That's what Christ did when he
became a man. This man can have compassion
on the ignorant, on them that are out of the way, for he himself
is compassed with infirmity. In other words, the Old Testament
placed those men were just like men like us. They had a sinful
nature. common man. Aaron was a man who
understood men and women. He sympathized with them. He,
too, was a sinner. And he offered sacrifices for
their sins and his sins. That's the reason he said in
verse 3, By reason hereof he ought as for the people also
for himself to offer sins. But Christ was not a sinner. He was born of a virgin, without
a human father. He did not partake of the sin
of Adam. And we have him described in Hebrews 7. Now listen, he
was a man, but he was a perfect man. He was a man, but he was
a sinless man. He knew no sin, he had no sin,
he did no sin. He was ticked and all points,
yet without sin. But he was a man. But in Hebrews
7, now here's the description of our great high priest, the
man. Hebrews 7, 24. Listen. Hebrews 7, 26. For such a high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, higher
than the heavens." Does that describe your priest? I'd like
to ask every Catholic who goes to the priest and confesses his
sin, who receives the auction and so forth from the priest,
who is represented by that priest to God, who offers them forgiveness
upon their confession. This priest who stands between
you and God, is this his character? Verse 26, For such a high priest
became us. We must have this kind of priest
who is holy, immaculately, perfectly holy, who is harmless, undefiled. That's Christ, he's the only
one. separate from sinners. He wasn't born a sinner, he wasn't
born in sin, he was born the seed of woman. Higher than the heavens! Now
I could read that one verse of scripture and never, ever, ever,
ever again have any respect for any man who claims to be a priest
representing sinners to God. He is defiled. He is defiled. He can't represent me. The law,
verse 28, maketh men high priests who have infirmities. That priesthood
is gone. Abram, the sons of Levi, that's
gone. They were sinners, they were
men with infirmity, they were men with weaknesses. But the
word of the oath which was set, the law, maketh the son who is
consecrated, consecrated, perfectly holy. higher than the heaven, equal
with God. That's my high praise. It's tragic,
this is tragic that people are submitting their souls into the
hands of men who cannot represent them to God. Here's our high praise. Look
at verse 4. No man takes this office on himself. This is not something you go
to school to study to do. It's not something you volunteer
to do and separate yourself to this order, to this so forth. This is he that's called of God. He's called of God, as was Abraham. Look over here at Genesis, I
mean Exodus 28, Exodus 28. God made Aaron the high priest. God made him the high priest. God said to Moses in Exodus 28, And take thou unto thee, Exodus
28, 1, Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him from among
the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the
priest office. even Avon, his son Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar, Ithamar, Avon's son. And you make holy garments for
Avon thy brother for glory and beauty." He was a type, he was
a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. God ordained Avon to be the high
priest. This office is the most holy
in nature. God selected the person God appointed
a time of approach, a certain month, a certain month in the
year, one time the high priest went into the Holy of Holies.
The sacrifice offered. Turn to Hebrews 9, let's look
at it. Hebrews 9, verse 6. Now when these things were ordained,
thus ordained the priest. There were lots of them, priests.
They went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the
services of God, changing the bread, changing the lamps, changing
the incense that burned, taking care of everything, offering
sacrifices. But into the second, into the
Holy of Holies, where the mercy seat was, where the ark was,
the covenant, went the high priest, Abraham, those who succeeded
him. alone once a year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins and errors of
the people. Now Christ, look down here at
verse 11. Well, let's read the rest of
this. The Holy Ghost signifying, verse
8, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest.
while that first tabernacle was standing. This was a figure,
for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices, it couldn't make him that did the service perfect,
as pertained to the conscience. You see, these sacrifices stood
on in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances,
imposed on them until the time of reformation. And here's that
time. But Christ being come, the person,
Christ, Even there is God, Christ is coming. Being a high priest
of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, not here on this earth, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood,
he entered once into the holy place, into the presence of God. having obtained eternal redemption
for us. And the acceptance, listen, if
the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled
and unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, if these
things held back the wrath of God till Christ came, how much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God. Down here in verse 23, it was
necessary, therefore necessary, that the patterns of things in
the heavens should be purified with these. But the heavenly
things themselves were better sacrifices than these. For Christ
is not entered into the holy place made with hands. which
are figures of the truth, but in the heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us." All right, back to my
text, Hebrews 5. That's what he says in verse
5, So Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but
he that said unto him, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten
thee, and in another place thou art a priest forever, after the
order of Melchizedek." Christ is not a priest after the order
of Aaron. There are a lot of ways in which
Aaron and his sons typify Christ. They were men, he's a man. They were chosen of God to be
high priests, he was chosen of God. They were intercessors between
Israel and God, Christ is an intercessor. They offer blood
sacrifices before God and he, his own blood. But there are
so many ways in which they don't picture Christ. And so our Lord
gave us a better picture, a better time. That's where we talk about
here in verse 6. Thou art my son to stay, have
I begotten thee, and he saith in another place, Thou art a
priest forever, forever. Avon and his sons pictured Christ,
but not like he needed to be pictured. You see, they were
men. He's the God-man. They ministered
on earth. He ministers in heaven. Their
priesthood was temporary. Avon was dead. Avon's not even
a priest anymore. He was only a priest a short
time. He's not even a high priest anymore. He has a high priest. Christ is a priest forever. They
offered many sacrifices, he won. They offered animal blood, he
his own blood. Their sacrifices didn't put away
anybody's sins. Christ put away all our sins.
Their work was never done, they just kept going into that place
every year, once he entered. So God raised up, way back yonder,
way back yonder, the type of Christ Let's turn to Genesis
chapter 14. Our father Abraham, this is so
beautiful, our father Abraham was returning from the slaughter
of the kings. This was back in the days of Abraham when he rescued
Lot. Genesis 14 verse 14. And when
Abram heard that his brother was taken captive. He armed his
trained servants born in his own house. I want you to listen
to this. Three hundred and eighteen of
them. Three hundred and eighteen servants. He armed and pursued
them unto death. And he divided himself against
them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued
them unto Hobart, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And
he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother
Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the people. He rescued
all of them. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after
his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings
that were with him, at the valley of Shavech, which is the king's
dale, and Melchizedek. Melchizedek, king of brought forth bread and wine.
He was the priest of the Most High God. This is before the
Aaronic priesthood. This is before the tabernacle.
This is before all these things. This is back here on Abraham's
day. And he stood before Abraham, man of faith, and blessed him. He was the priest of the Most
High God, verse 19, and he blessed and said, Blessed be Abram, of
the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." Bread and
wine, that's interesting. Well, turn to Hebrews chapter
7, and let's see a description of this man, another description.
Paul describes him. And so many times in chapter
5 and 7 and 6, Look at right above there, chapter
6, verse 20, talking about our Lord Jesus, whether the forerunner
is for us, in it even Jesus, made a high priest forever, not
after the order of Abraham, after the order of Melchizedek, who
met Abraham. For this Melchizedek, verse 1
of chapter 7, this Melchizedek is the king of Salem, king of
peace, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. to whom Abraham
gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation King
of Righteousness? Who can wear a title like that?
Only Christ, King of Righteousness. And after that also King of Salem,
which is King of Peace, without a father? What man ever walked
on this earth without a father? Just one. Christ. Without a mother, without descent,
having neither beginning of days, this priest had no beginning.
In the beginning God, that's the only one I know that's in
the beginning, is God. No end of life? Made like, oh,
made like the Son of God, the body of the priest You know who
Melchizedek is? I'll give you a little clue.
Melchizedek met Abraham and blessed him, and he didn't offer a sacrifice. He didn't have a lamb. He didn't
have any blood. Without blood, there's no remission. He had bread and wine. And that's
our great high priest that stood before his disciples one night
at the last Passover. and broke the bread and poured
the wine. This is my body, my blood. Melchizedek
had a sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. That's
right. He was the sacrifice. A pre-incarnation
appearance, another one, of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's a priest
forever. This is my priest. Is this your
priest? It better be. It better be. It's just one. It's just one. All right, let me bring it to
a close. Verse 7. Who in the days of his flesh.
Verse 6 says he's a priest forever. And having such a great high
priest. Oh my goodness. King of Salem,
king of righteousness, priest to the most high God, who has
the sacrifice of his own blood. Son of God, but in the days of
his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him. In the Garden, Matthew 26. In
the Garden. You've got to turn to this now.
Be patient with me. Let me take a little longer.
Matthew 26, verse 36. who in the days of his flesh
offered up strong cryings and tears and prayers with supplication. Then cometh Jesus, Matthew 26,
verse 36, and wished them unto a place called Gethsemane. He
said unto his disciples, Sit here while I go and pray. He
took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John,
and began to be sorrowful and very heavy." What does that say? Strong cryings and tears. He
said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even to death. Tell
ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther
and fell on his face and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as thou wilt. Praying for relief from his sorrow. Not relief from the cross, no
better than that, but relief from this present agony, sorrow. He said, Is there any sorrow
like my sorrow, which the Lord has inflicted me in the day of
his fierce wrath? Christ said, All ye that pass
by and behold, is there any sorrow like my sorrow? And he is crying
out to God, with strong in the veins of his flesh, with Uncle
prayed with supplication, strong, crying, and tears unto him that
was able to save him from this death in the garden. Now Matthew
doesn't give this report just like Luke does. I want you to
read Luke. Luke 22. Listen to what Luke says. I read over here in Hebrews where
it said, In the days of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplication
with strong crying and tears unto him who was able to deliver
him. The word saved is deliver him from death. Now listen to
Luke, Luke 22, verse 41. And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father,
if you be with remove this cup, this cup right here, from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done.' And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
and strengthened him." That's what I told you this morning.
You see, you've got to read all of the accounts. One disciple
has one emphasis, another has another. And when Luke wrote
this account of the agony in Gethsemane, Luke said an angel
came down And here in my text, Hebrews
5.7, who in the days of his flesh, when he offered up prayers and
supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able
to save him from death, he was heard. He was heard in that he
feared. He was heard for his piety. He
was heard because of his holiness. He was heard in his fear and
reverence of the Father. He was heard. And thank God,
let me tell you, he's always heard. That's your hope and my
hope. He's heard. I may not be heard, but he is.
He is. He's always heard. And verse
8 says, Though he were a son, yet learned he obedient for the
things he suffered. He learned this, if he's to redeem
a people, he's not exempt from suffering. He learned this, though he is
a son, he cannot execute a perfect righteousness without full submission
and obedience to the law of God. He learned this, though he is
a son, he cannot perfect an accepted atonement without full suffering,
even unto death, and satisfaction to justice. The word learn says
understood. That's what Paul said in Philippians
4, I've learned, I understand in whatsoever state to be content. Paul said you hold to the gospel
remembering from whom you learned it, from whom you understand
it, understood it. And therefore he understood by
the things he suffered, compliance, submission, conformity to authority. Most religious people haven't
learned that. Though he's a son, Though he's
a son, he learned obedience, he learned compliance, he learned
submission, he learned satisfaction of the things he suffered. We
ought to learn it by entering into his sufferings. Let's go
into Jesus without the camp, let's enter into his sufferings
and see that God is God. The holiness and majesty and
justice of God is unchangeable. You can find loopholes in man's
law and stay out of jail, but you can't find any loopholes
in his law or his justice. It's got to be bare and plain
according to the law. And Christ learned that by sufferings. And if we'll study his sufferings,
we just might learn it too. And it'll drive us to Christ.
It'll shut us up to Christ. And this is the last verse. We'll
start on Wednesday night with verse 11. But verse 9 says, And
being made perfect in all that he did, by his active and passive
obedience, perfect. What was his active obedience?
Compliance to the law. His passive obedience, surrender
to death. By his active and passive obedience,
which was perfection, he became the author, the full author and
finisher of eternal salvation to all men, no, to all who obey
him. not to all men at all, but unto
all them that obey him, because he is called of God the high
priest." After the author of Melchizedek, Melchizedek is one